𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫 - Levi Ackerman [2]

fifteen

15|ambush

"You're worried about a child drinking a little wine?" Lillian questioned him, glancing up from the boy with confusion.

"Though it's probably too late." Nicolo sighed as he mumbled to himself.

"What's in the wine?" Hange demanded, pulling Lillian back from the boy and throwing water on her hands to clean them.

"I think Zeke's spinal fluid." He answered truthfully.

"What do you mean? Zekes spinal fluid is in the wine?" Jean threw the man against the nearest wall.

"I don't have proof, but they packed the first scout fleet to the brim with it, well more than any scouting mission needed." Nicolo revealed to them. "And, around the time I secured my job here as a chef, I was told to serve it to high ranking officers."

"My fucking husband is in that fleet." Lilly stood up and pushed Jean out the way, holding Nicolo by his throat as she glared at him. "Who did this?"

"Yelena." He stated reluctantly as the woman stepped back furiously, letting go of his neck. "As far as I know, she's the only one in on it. Can't speak for the other volunteers."

"This is the first time I've heard about it!" Onyankopon said immediately when Hanges gaze shifted to him.

"It doesn't make sense! Don't Eldians freeze up if they drink his spinal fluid?" Connie asked, pausing from washing Falcos mouth.

"According to Zeke. Nobody witnessed it, so there's no way to confirm it." Hange stated to him. "But the effectiveness of his little lie has been enormous. Because nobody has frozen up, no one is even aware they drank it."

"Thank fuck I'm pregnant." Lillian sighed with relief as she leaned back against the fall.

"Yeah, but you don't know for sure, right?" Jean questioned the chef.

"Yeah, I can't prove it." Nicolo gulped and looked away from all their eyes. "But Marleyans know how Zeke's spinal fluid has been used in the past. About ten years ago, we conquered a capital in just one night. Hundreds of Titans spring up in the city. Unless that's what she's plotting, I don't know why she wants it served to your military's top officers."

"So earlier, you grabbed the wine away 'cause you were protecting us?" Jean glanced at him, his glare lessening.

"Who knows? I don't know what I'm doing." He sighed guiltily. "I came here to save the world from island Devils. Now that I've opened my mouth, I'm sure my days are numbered. But, Mr. Braus, I don't think I can be like you, but if this can serve as atonement. Killing a child? What's wrong with me?"

Lillian followed Hange and Jean into the kitchen area, cleaning the boy in the sink when they heard a strange noise.

"What's wrong?" Hange walked back into the main room with Lilly peeking around her.

"Commander Hange." Floch greeted her, a gun aimed at Onyankopon.

"Floch?"

"I'm glad you're here." He smiled creepily at the Scouts and Nicolo, guns aimed at them all. "I imagine you know where Zeke's at. We'll have you take us there."

"Wait. We have no intention of fighting you." Hange tried to reason with him.

"We rejected your proposal. We won't negotiate with the military." Floch stated casually.

"And why is that?"

"It's Eren's decision." He answered her. "Pyxis would never leave the fate of the island in our hands. I'm sure he's frantically devising a plan to take the Founder from Eren while we're on the move."

"You're imagining things." Hange glared at him. "Or is that what your comrades in the Garrison Regiment said?"

"Does it look like I'm one of your lackeys that will answer you?" Floch snapped at her as he reloaded his gun. "I suggest you get moving before I prove to you that I'm not."

"Shit. How'd they know we were here?" Jean mumbled to them.

"Greiz? Did Yelena put you up to this?" Nicolo growled at a restaurant worker behind the soldiers with guns.

"Nicolo, you're too obsessed with Eldians." Greiz replied deadpan. "I knew this day would eventually come. I was right not to tell you how to reach them."

"Floch, listen!" Hange stepped forwards, bringing the attention back on her. "We don't have time to be fighting among ourselves! Wine with Zeke's spinal fluid was spread through the military. Zeke fooled us all with this plan of his!"

"So what? It'll just make the idiot MPs into bigger idiots." Floch laughed at her. "Can we go?"

"I never said that the MPs drank it." She mumbled as the soldiers restrained them all. "No way! You guys knew about the wine?"

"Use your inside voice, please." He turned and placed his finger to his lips, a strange smile on his face.